I honestly went into this subject thinking it was going to be an easy elective about climate change… do not be fooled like I was lol. It is indeed a full-blown meteorology subject so the topics you learn about are more along the lines of wind, cyclones/hurricanes/typhoons, synoptic charts, clouds etc. It is important to note that there is a bit of physics and maths involved (partial derivatives, vectors), though only a little and you don’t need to remember any formulas (so it’s okay for someone with no physics/maths background). However, I must say that I have come away from this subject feeling as though I’ve learnt lots. I went into this semester never having taken any meteorology or specific environmental science subject so the content was mostly new to me. I mean, I’ll probably never use the knowledge again but I can say I have some general idea of how weather events occur. The major pro of this subject was that the exam is only worth 35% (which imo is pretty low for science subjects) and the rest is derived from weekly practical quizzes, an oral presentation, and a report, which I believe were fairly reasonable to score well in given you put in some effort. This gave me the chance to prioritise the subject less during exam season and still get a H1.

Anonymous, Semester 1, 2023

Everyone who did it talked highly of this subject, and it definitely would have been more fun if not for covid. My physics knowledge felt useful mainly just for my confidence, the content is very much application of easy entry-level physics concepts. You learn specific systems (thunderstorms, cold fronts, climate drivers, greenhouse) and not the complex technicalities of thermodynamics. Practicals are more about reading synoptic charts / aerological diagrams, and you don't actually need to perform math beyond year 9 trig (calc is just there to help you). The lecturer/coordinator Linden is amazing, she's really easy to talk to, enthusiastic, and just seems to genuinely want the best for everyone. A great subject for any advocates/scientists wanting to understand the mechanics of weather/climate change. Well taught and enjoyable. It's just the question of whether this is useful to your degree or not, and to most people, it isn't.

Anonymous, Semester 1, 2020